1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to indoor grills and more particularly to a free-standing, indoor grill which includes a height adjustable filter unit for cleaning the smoke, fumes and other contaminants which inundate the air as a result of grill-style cooking.
2. Description of the Related Art
Outdoor charcoal or gas barbecuing is a popular method of cooking and preparing various foods such as meats, poultry, fish and vegetables and manufacturers have enjoyed great commercial success providing outdoor barbecues and accessories in the United States and elsewhere. Part of the popularity of outdoor barbecuing can be attributed to the unique blend of smell, flavor and look the briquettes convey to the meat, fish, and/or vegetables which is often referred to as xe2x80x9cbarbecuexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csmokexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccharcoalxe2x80x9d flavor. However, due to the obvious safety concerns of burning briquettes indoors, barbecuing has typically been recognized as an outdoor cooking activity.
Recently, however, manufacturers have been looking for ways to manufacture grills for barbecuing indoors which imitate the various cooking advantages of outdoor barbecues, e.g., the smell, taste and look of barbecued food. For example, electric indoor barbecues provide one method of safely barbecuing indoors and some of these designs include electric hotplates with grill-like surfaces for conveying a grill like look to the food and for allowing the fat/grease to drip from the food onto the heating element to flavor and/or xe2x80x9csmokexe2x80x9d the food.
However, since the amount of dripping fat differs among various food types, e.g., chicken versus sausage, the amount of smoke emanating from the heating elements is often difficult to control which can quickly spoil the charm of indoor barbeque grilling. Moreover and especially with indoor grilling, the smoke and/or fumes emanating off the heating elements should be filtered prior to introduction into the surrounding area. As a result and due to the convenience of other cooking methods and appliances such as ovens and stoves which offer a wider range of cooking options, e.g., baking, broiling, frying, etc., indoor barbecuing is not commonplace.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,801 to Holland discloses an outdoor barbecue unit which includes a replaceable filtration element for removing contaminants from the smoke as the smoke exits a smoke exhaust cylinder mounted atop the barbecue hood. U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,903 to Kim discloses a table mounted cooker which includes a filter which removes contaminants from the smoke exhaust as the smoke exhaust is drawn through a chimney or ventilation system. Movement of the filter relative to the cooking surface is limited to removal of the filter from the unit, i.e., the filter is not positionable relative to the cooking surface.
As can be appreciated, these units are somewhat complicated and may not be suitable for ordinary indoor use. Moreover, separate ventilation systems or exhaust connections may be required which, again, are typically not suitable for ordinary indoor use. Thus, there exists a need to develop a free-standing, easy-to-use indoor grill having a height-adjustable filter unit for filtering contaminants, fumes and odors which emanate from the grilling surface during grilling.
The present disclosure relates to a free-standing grill for indoor cooking which includes a base having a grilling surface on the top surface thereof and a stanchion which extends vertically from the base. The grill also includes a filter unit which has a hood having a downwardly-depending post which telescopically engages the stanchion of the base such that the filter unit can be selectively positioned in a vertical direction relative to the base and the grilling surface. Preferably, the filter unit includes a selectively removable filtering element for removing contaminants from a medium (i.e., smoke, fumes, odor, contaminants, etc.) which emanates from the grilling surface into the air during grilling. A ventilation system creates an air flow for drawing the medium through the filtering element for cleaning.
In one embodiment, the filter unit includes a hinge which permits pivotable movement of the filter unit relative to the base. The grill may also include a pair of locking tabs which cooperate to selectively position and lock the filter unit at various positions above the grilling surface.
In another embodiment, the ventilation system includes a motor which operates a fan for creating the air flow to draw the medium and contaminants through the filtering element. Preferably, the fan includes a variable switch which regulates the speed of the fan and the resulting air flow of the medium and contaminants through the filtering element.
In still yet another embodiment, the base includes an inner peripheral edge which defines a furrow between the inner peripheral edge and the grilling surface. Preferably, the furrow is dimensioned to collect cooking excretions which result during cooking. The grilling surface may be contoured and/or include a plurality of raised projections having grooves defined therebetween which cooperate to direct the flow of cooking excretions into the furrow. The base may also include a selectively removable trap for collecting the cooking excretions from the furrow and/or grilling surface.